


elementary

by kazahaya0



Category: Inazuma Eleven GO
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 04:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20540210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazahaya0/pseuds/kazahaya0
Summary: "You are the Watson to my Sherlock, so..."





	elementary

**Author's Note:**

> A fluffy MinaMana drabble about an afternoon doing homework. And theorems and theories, numbers, calculations, the spectrum of human interaction, formulas and feelings. Older piece.

Minaho tests Manabe all the time.

  
His firm ideas on calculus, his rationale, the way he puts his glasses up his nose, how often and how so, the physics they agree and disagree on proper football, the way he gets ignited over every little remark Minaho makes about his gestures. The whole spectrum of human emotion can be traced back to both of them, arguing in the field, or in the street. Colliding brains, or maybe just two very smart idiots, that's what their team mates would say.

  
They're in Manabe's room, legs spread out under the small table, piles of books and homework. Minaho barely brought anything, just a physics book and his notebook, the essentials. Manabe's room is filled with sky maps, numbers, periodic tables, history books, calculators, a laptop and what else, books on atoms and stars far away and invisible numbers, all tiny things. Everything looks clean and has an order in this room however, even the solar system above their heads. And oh, by the bedside table, a lava lamp, who would have thought he would have interest in such  
things? The things you learn from someone's room. He wishes he could sniff around the closed drawers but better not. It's more fun here, right where he is, by Manabe-kun himself.

  
Minaho’s ears move. He likes Manabe. If he had to put himself down to such terms, he would say Manabe is the closer he ever had to a close friend. They’re similar but he is still someone he can push buttons with. He likes when they unfold some new mystery together, he even like when they fight. But he needs to be careful. Manabe looks like any other mathematician, brilliant, boring, he even wears glasses, impeccable choice of clothing, his shirt tucked in his capris. Brilliant grades all that. But he is sweeter inside, and soft, he has been hurt by Minaho’s prickling questions more than once.

“You said you would stop those!”

“My bad.” retorts Minaho joyfully. “It’s too fun reading up on you Manabe-kun.”

“Why?”

"Manabe-kun you have no romantic experience.”

Silence as the red head boy sits across from him “And all the romantic experience I have is based on observation and theory, correct?"

"W-what's this all of a sudden?"

"I want to test a theory would you like to test it with me?"

Manabe’s fingers stop running the spine of his math textbook absentmindedly, his palms are sweaty.

"Manabe-kun do you harbor, or would be able to, harbor romantic feelings for me?"

"M-minaho-kun!! Stop it that's embarrassing!! We s-should be studying!"

"Am I correct to assume this Manabe-kun?"

Manabe looks hurt he got discovered like this. Minaho always bringing up some kind of unspoken competition between them, to see who gets who quicker. Except Manabe isn’t interested in such things, he would rather sit quietly and finish his formulas and calculations. Safely, against the beating of the drum of his heart. Easier to concentrate on homework when you're just intellect, the pencil scribbling away on his textbook, his calculator by his side. Safety in numbers.

  
Minaho tests Manabe all the time. His timings, his reactions, the color of his cheeks when he flushes when he says such things. Such silly things only couples say in movies. What a wonder they would actually work and that people actually said them. Minaho has extensive proof via people watching. He has wondered at what time and place would it be okay to hold Manabe’s hand in public when they go out, at the museum? The café? Not the library, they can get really loud when they discuss different points of view. It has happened more than once. At the park? Minaho doesn’t work with the right 'angle' or the 'right number versus number equals somethingsomething divided eons', and everything about Manabe and himself say they can work together, like partner detectives or a buddy cop movie. But Manabe squirms when they touch by accident and Minaho thinks it is too hilarious to pass it up.

  
"What happens if I touch you here?”, a pinch on his cheek, “what happens if I do this?", a pinch on his waist, skinny under the soft lilac pullover. Manabe protests, adjusts his glasses, his hair; it is playful enough but then Minaho’s gaze never leaves Manabe. He feels his curiosity burning against his skin, calculating a million scenarios.

He expects reactions to his actions, always, simple laws of physics Manabe must understand this. But Manabe adjusts his sweater, buttons his shirt even tighter around covering himself as much as possible, pulls his glasses up nervously "W-why are you staring at me like that. So what if I… like you. It’s not a reason to bully me.”

Oh. And Minaho nods. Manabe just looks defeated.

“You’re such a child.”

Oh, again. A direct answer instead of avoiding it? A direct answer instead of more notebook scribbling and disapproving cold stares and remarks. Minaho likes it, he thinks, it is not at all surprising. But he also feels something else in his chest, a bit of regret? And that does come as a surprise. Maybe he really does like Minaho more than he thought alright. This excites him now, makes him smile. It's an answer.

Manabe notices that smile, thinks it is a joke and sticks his tongue out, tired of these foolish games.

“You shouldn’t be smiling… anyway I really have to get this done with. If you don’t need help with your homework at least let me finish mine.”

His pencil moves again, scribbling calculations and methods away, he pretends Minaho doesn’t notice. He pushes his glasses up. They keep falling down his nose, Minaho thinks to himself it must be really annoying to wear them. He is still staring, smiling, one hand on his chin like he discovered a piece of the puzzle, a new opening to an old forgotten case. Manabe stares back and closes his textbook in a hurry, the clak-clak of pink and brown and purple pencils and pens dropping to the tatami mat at his gesture. He must really like purple, Minaho realizes, also he notes, Manabe is nervous, very nervous.

"What is it?!" he picks up his things, eyes down.

Minaho returns him a fully calm, pensive smile.

"You are the Watson to my Sherlock, so I have this thought… which concerns me. And concerns you too.” He begins, like telling a story, voice light and breezy.

“What is it.” A harsh plain tone.

“I quite like you, Manabe-kun."

"W-well I wouldn't have guessed... imagine if you didn't." he stammers, holds his book angrily. The body language of someone so nervous their hands must be sweating.

"No I mean." another ear twitch, another pause, the big break on this case, "I like like you. Like you like me."

And silence. Manabe doesn't answer he is frozen in place. Minaho tilts his head like an owl expecting a reaction that never comes, so he goes ahead and proceeds.

"So now that you know I am being serious. I need your help to try out my theory."

"A-and what is this theory about??", blood rushing to Manabe's face, pink all over.

"Well, about us of course." his ears twitch again, and he speaks again, affirmative.

The wall clock is also lilac, it’s almost five. He should go, his mother is expecting him. There really was no homework he couldn’t solve today anyway. He just wanted to hang out with Manabe. But he won’t tell him that just yet, there is only one reaction he wants to get out from him today and it’s not the answer to some theorem, not his thoughts on a book.

They’re still locking eyes. Manabe is no less pissed but he is listening, weary, the pink over his nose never went away. Minaho wants to tell him he is cute like this, but first…

"Manabe-kun, would you let me kiss you?"  



End file.
